Eco Factor: Underwater turbines could generate 10TWh of energy annually.
Of all the forms of renewable energy, wave power seems the most complex, but if harnessed it could end the global dependence on fossil fuels for power. A spin-off from the Swedish military and aircraft design firm Saab Minesto has proposed the Deep Green Underwater turbine that could well generate about 18 terrawatthours of electricity annually by harnessing wave energy.
The energy generated by the Deep Green Underwater Turbine will be able to power 4 million British households with ecofriendly power. The concept was originally developed as a wind turbine, but later the designers believed that the system could be more useful if put underwater, as water is about 832 times denser than air.
The underwater kite swings in a repeating figure eight pattern, where the first stage increases the relative flow speed entering the turbine. The tide makes the kite turn down, which creates a lift force pulling the turbine up again. The underwater turbine will be tethered to the ocean floor and controlled by a rudder.
The company claims that a 14-ton kite would be able to generate 1MW of power and the energy generated could be sold for somewhere between $0.09 and $0.20 per KWh.
Via: CleanTechnica
